Fuel Cladding Material Scientist (Post Doc)

Job Introduction

An exciting position is available to work on a Government-funded project to develop the next generation of nuclear fuel cladding manufacturing technologies.  The successful candidate will be part of NNL’s Reactor Core Technology Team, working on the Advanced Fuel Cycle Programme’s (AFCP) research activity on coated cladding for Accident Tolerant Fuels.

The role requires a high calibre person with experience in the area of fuel coating and cladding who is interested in developing the maturity of this technology from academic scale to that approaching larger scale.

Please note that this role is a Fixed-Term Contract through to March 2021, but will be considered for a more permanent role should this area continue in the next phase of the AFCP project

Main Responsibilities

Responsibilities include:

• Lead and deliver technical activities in the ATF Coated Cladding programme to time, cost and quality
• Oversee and approve output from technical programmes conducted by academic and industrial supply chain to ensure it meets programme requirements
• Develop the scope of future work programmes in fuel cladding activities to meet AFCP needs
• Disseminate information from work programmes in accordance with knowledge or technical understanding of stakeholders
• Work packages are to be delivered safely in accordance with national and local regulations and rules
• Support and, where necessary, deliver capability development activities within the team and beyond
• Support local EHSS&Q assurance and improvement plans by delivering activities as directed by the manager
• Support and, where directed, drive business and local improvement initiative

The Ideal Candidate

Essential Skills/Qualifications:

• PhD in a relevant scientific discipline.
• Experience in the field of coating technologies / surface engineering
• Experience of delivering commercial or academic research to strict deadlines

Desirable Skills/Qualifications:

• Post-doctoral level experience in the development of magnetron sputtering coating technologies.
• Experience in the characterisation of coatings (e.g. electron microscopy, surface analysis)
• Experience in the testing of coatings (e.g. wear / scratch testing, autoclave testing)
• Knowledge of zirconium alloys used in the nuclear industry

About The Company

Grounded in robust science and decades of experience, National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) is the authoritative voice in the UK and beyond for technological development within the nuclear power sector.

Our unparalleled understanding of the science, challenges and opportunities makes us an unrivalled authority and partner in the field, providing experts, technologies, and access to cutting-edge facilities to organisations around the world.

Harnessing potential technologies and translating them into to industry-ready solutions means our pioneering approach spearheads international improvement and technological progress.

We work on projects as small as drilling a hole to analyse underground wastes with our integrated micro drilling technology, or as large as developing state-of-the-art power systems for spacecraft, based on radioactive materials